UC Santa Cruz student shot in the head during robbery

SANTA CRUZ -- A day after a UC Santa Cruz student was shot in the head during a robbery at a Westside bus stop, police continued to track leads on what appeared to be a random attack.

The 21-year-old woman was waiting for a bus near Natural Bridges Drive and Delaware Avenue on Monday night, when a man wearing a bandanna demanded her belongings, shot her in the back of the head and took her backpack, Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Steve Clark said.

She remained in a hospital on Tuesday and is expected to recover.

"How do you even begin to wrap your head around this?" Clark asked Tuesday. "She was incredibly brave and kept her wits about her. She's lucky to be alive. Had it been another caliber, we likely would have had a homicide."

About 7:30 p.m., the woman was on her way home to the UCSC campus, Clark said.

She sat at the bus stop bench, which is on a quiet, wide street with wooded areas on either side and sits just a stone's throw from a gated entrance to Natural Bridges State Beach.

With her backpack next to her, she watched a white Chrysler PT Cruiser pass her. It circled back, passed her again and parked on Delaware Avenue, according to police.

She heard rustling from bushes behind the bench. A man with a red bandanna covering his beard approached her from behind with a gun.

In a "gruff voice," he demanded that she empty her pockets, Clark said. The man told her, "Don't leave or I'll blow your head off." She did not move and said she had nothing. Then she felt what she thought was him hitting her in the head with the butt of the gun, Clark said.

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Dazed and bleeding, she hit a light at the bus stop that is meant to alert bus drivers to stop at night.

She ran north on Natural Bridges Drive and left her backpack, which contained a laptop computer and wallet, police said. She turned back and saw the man take her bag and flee.

The suspect appeared to be light-skinned and about 5 feet 7 inches tall with a medium build. He wore jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt, police said. He is wanted for robbery and attempted murder.

She flagged down a driver and described what happened. The driver called 911.

Santa Cruz firefighters, police and paramedics arrived. Her injuries initially appeared minor and included a cut on the back of her head, Clark said.

She was taken by ambulance to a hospital. About 10:30 p.m., hospital staff told police that there was a bullet lodged in her skull, Clark said.

The bullet penetrated the first layer of her skull in the back of her head but did not pierce a second layer, authorities said.

Police recovered the bullet after surgery. It was a .22- or .32-caliber that came from a rifle or handgun. Clark said. The woman believed it was a rifle.

Early Tuesday afternoon, UCSC leaders and UCSC police posted a "crime bulletin" on the UCSC home page that described the attack with information from Santa Cruz police. It also offered some safety tips such as traveling in groups at night.

The emailed it to students, faculty and staff. UCSC spokesman Jim Burns said many on campus were troubled by the attack.

"They're reacting to it the same way they react to any serious crime in town -- it's very worrisome," Burns said.

Many students and staff work near Natural Bridges and Delaware, he added. The university's Information Technology Services is at 2300 Delaware Ave., Staff Human Resources is at 1201 Shaffer Road and the university's public relations office is at 2155 Delaware Ave.

Many students also use the bus route to get to and from Long Marine Laboratory and Seymour Marine Discovery Center on Shaffer Road.

"If possible, don't walk alone during late night hours," Burns advised. "Let a family member or friend know your destination and estimated time of arrival and stay in well-lit areas. These are safety tips that we send our campus community on a fairly regular basis," he said.

Santa Cruz police said the suspect and car had not been found as of Tuesday night.

Authorities issued Project ROPE minutes after the robbery describing the suspect and PT Cruiser on the police radio. Police also used a K-9 and thermal imaging equipment to track potential evidence near the scene and in the bushes.

They looked for more evidence on Tuesday, patrolled the area and worked with UCSC police.